Footwear having tread which facilitates the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread

ABSTRACT

A tread for footwear that facilitates the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread includes, when the tread is on the ground, forwardly and outwardly extending channels in the forepart section of the tread and rearwardly and outwardly extending channels in the backpart section.

A. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to footwear having a tread design which facilitates the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Footwear used in the workplace and elsewhere, such as, for example, footwear used while working on farms, often collects mud and debris in the grooves of the footwear tread.

A similar condition occurs in treads of tractor tires when mud and debris collects in the grooves of the tire tread. It is known in the prior art to include treads on the vehicle tires which have a design that facilitates the discharge of loose mud and other debris that may accumulate when the tread is in contact with the ground. The tractor tread design includes right side and left side grooves which face forwardly towards the front of the vehicle and outwardly toward the tread edge when the tread is in contact with the ground. The grooves are formed within right side and left side ribs. The grooves are opened at the tire edge to facilitate the discharge of mud and debris through the groove openings at the tire edge.

When the tire begins to rotate to move the vehicle forwardly, the grooves on the tread, which faced forwardly when the tread was in contact with the ground, will face downwardly as the tire rotates. In this position, loose mud and debris in the tread grooves will fall downwardly through the grooves and are discharged through the opened ends of the grooves.

B. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is concerned with footwear having a tread design comprising a forepart section and a backpart section that facilitate the discharge of mud and debris from the tread.

The tread of the forepart section of the footwear is similar to the previously described tractor tread. The forepart tread design includes right side and left side grooves which face forwardly toward the front of the footwear and outwardly toward the tread edge when the tread is in contact with the ground. The grooves are formed within right and left side ribs. The grooves are opened at the footwear edge to facilitate the discharge of mud and debris through the groove openings at the tread edge.

The backpart tread design includes right side and left side grooves which face rearwardly toward the rear of the footwear and outwardly toward the tread edge when the tread is in contact with the ground. The grooves are formed within right side and left side ribs. The grooves are opened at the footwear edge to facilitate the discharge of mud and debris through the groove openings at the tread edge.

When taking a step, it is usual for the backpart section to first come into contact with the ground. In this position, the grooves in the backpart section, which had faced rearwardly when the tread was on the ground, face downwardly for a brief period during the step. With the grooves in the backpart section facing downwardly, loose mud and debris in the backpart section grooves are able to fall downwardly through the grooves and be discharged through the opened ends of the grooves.

As the step continues, the backpart section is lifted from the ground and the forepart section comes into contact with the ground. In this position, the grooves in the forepart section face downwardly and loose mud and debris in the forepart section grooves are able to fall downwardly through the grooves and be discharged through the open ends of the grooves.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide footwear having a tread design which facilitates the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread.

It is a further object of this invention to provide footwear having a tread design in the forepart section which, when the tread is in contact with the ground, includes grooves that face forwardly toward the front of the footwear and outwardly toward the tread edge for facilitating the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread;

It is a still further object of this invention to provide footwear having a tread design in the backpart section which, when the tread is in contact with the ground, includes grooves that face rearwardly toward the rear of the footwear and outwardly toward the tread edge for facilitating the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide footwear having a tread design in the forepart section which, when the tread is in contact with the ground, includes grooves that face forwardly toward the front of the footwear and outwardly toward the tread edge for facilitating the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread. The footwear further includes a tread design in the backpart section which, when the tread is in contact with the ground, includes grooves that face rearwardly toward the rear of the footwear and outwardly toward the tread edge for facilitating the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes more clearly understood by references to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof.

C. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of the tread of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of the tread shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a right side elevational view of the footwear when the backpart section of the tread comes into contact with the ground at the beginning of a step;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the tread when the footwear is in the position shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the footwear when the forepart section of the tread comes into contact with the ground as the step continues; and

FIG. 6 is a front view of the tread when the footwear is in the position shown in FIG. 5.

D. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In FIG. 1, there is shown a tread 2 having a forepart section 4 and a backpart section 6. The tread 2 is formed of conventional thermoplastic urethane. Tread 2 may be molded to a footwear upper in known manner to form the footwear 5. (See FIG. 5)

The forepart section 4 includes right side and left side grooves 8 which are within raised right side and left side ribs 10 and are parallel to right side and left side ribs 10. The right side and left side ribs 10 include inner ends 11 which overlap each other in the center area of tread 2. When the tread 2 is in contact with the ground, right and left side grooves 8 of forepart section 4 face forwardly toward the front of the footwear and outwardly toward the tread edge 14. The grooves 8 are opened at the edge 14 of the tread 2 to facilitate the discharge of mud and debris through these groove openings 9 (shown in FIG. 3). Narrow slits 16 in forepart section 4 enhance the flexibility of the insole.

The backpart section 6 includes right and left side grooves 18 which are within raised right side and left side ribs 20 and are parallel to right and left side ribs 20. The right side and left side ribs 20 include inner ends 21 which overlap each other in the center area of tread 2. When the tread 2 is in contact with the ground, right and left side grooves 18 of backpart section 6 face rearwardly toward the rear of footwear 5 and outwardly toward the tread edge 14. The grooves 18 are opened at the edge 14 of the tread 2 to facilitate the discharge of mud and debris through these groove openings 19 (shown in FIG. 3). Narrow slits 16 in the backpart section 6 are for design purposes.

The midsection 26 of tread 2 is an unobstructed surface suitable for including, for example, brand identification of the footwear. The manner in which the tread design facilitates the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread is next described.

It is usual for the backpart section 6 to first come into contact with the ground, as seen in FIG. 3, when a step is taken. In this position the grooves 18 in the backpart section 6, which had faced rearwardly when the tread 2 was on the ground, face downwardly. With the grooves 18 in the backpart section 6 facing downwardly, loose mud and debris in the grooves 18 are free to fall downwardly through grooves 18 and be discharged through the opened ends 19 of the grooves 18.

It is noted that since the opened ends 9 of grooves 8 in the forepart section 4 face upwardly in this position, any loose mud or debris in grooves 8 will not be discharged through grooves 8.

As the step continues, the backpart section 6 of tread 2 is lifted from the ground and the forepart section 4 comes into contact with the ground. In this position, the grooves 8 in the forepart section 4 now face downwardly and loose mud and debris in grooves 8 are free to fall downwardly through the opened ends 9 of the grooves 8.

Since the opened ends 19 of grooves 18 in the backpart section 6 face upwardly in this position, any loose mud or debris in grooves 18 will not be discharged through grooves 18.

This invention has been described above with reference to a presently preferred embodiment of the invention; such description has not been presented as a catalog exhaustive of all forms which this invention may take. Accordingly, workers skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will readily appreciate that variations, alterations or modifications in the structure's procedures, and arrangements described above may be practiced without departing from the scope of this invention. 

1. Footwear having a tread which facilitates the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread, said tread having an edge and comprising a forepart section having ribs and parallel grooves within said ribs and wherein said grooves face forwardly towards the front of the footwear and outwardly towards said tread edge when the tread is in contact with the ground, and wherein said grooves include ends which are opened at the ends of the grooves closest to the edge of the tread.
 2. Footwear as recited in claim 1 wherein the ribs and channels are arcuately shaped.
 3. Footwear as recited in claim 1 which comprise right side and left side ribs and right side and left side channels.
 4. Footwear having a tread which facilitates the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread, said tread having an edge and comprising a backpart section having ribs and parallel grooves within said ribs and wherein said grooves face rearwardly towards the front of the footwear and outwardly towards said tread edge when the tread is in contact with the ground and wherein said grooves include ends which are opened at the ends of the grooves closest to the edge of the tread.
 5. Footwear as recited in claim 4 wherein the ribs and channels are arcuately shaped.
 6. Footwear as recited in claim 4 which comprise right side and left side ribs and right side and left side channels.
 7. Footwear having a tread which facilitates the discharge of loose mud and debris from the tread, said tread having an edge and comprising a forepart section having ribs and parallel grooves within said ribs and wherein said grooves face forwardly towards the front of the footwear and outwardly towards said tread edge when the tread is in contact with the ground, and wherein said grooves include ends which are opened at the ends of the grooves closest to the edge of the tread, and further comprising a backpart section having ribs and parallel grooves within said ribs and wherein said grooves face rearwardly towards the rear of the footwear and outwardly towards said tread edge when the tread is in contact with the ground and wherein said grooves include ends which are opened at the ends of the grooves closest to the edge of the tread.
 8. Footwear as recited in claim 7 wherein the ribs and channels are arcuatey shaped.
 9. Footwear as recited in claim 7 which comprise right side and left side ribs and right side and left side channels. 